Bua Kitiyakara


Mom Luang Bua Kitiyakara, née Mom Luang Bua Snidvongs, stage-named Prathum Chitchuea, was a Thai actress. She was the wife of Prince Nakkhatra Mangala, the mother of Queen Sirikit, and the maternal grandmother of King Vajiralongkorn.

Life

Mom Luang Bua was the eldest child of Mom Rajawongse Sathan Snidvongs or Chaophraya Wongsanupraphat and his wife Bang Snidvongs na Ayudhya or Thao Wanida Phicharini. She has three full siblings, Mom Luang Sa-ngop Snidvongs, Mom Luang Chinda Snidvongs and Thanphuying Maniratana Bunnag.
She attended Saipanya School and Wattana Wittaya Academy. In 1928 Bua entered the service of Queen Rambhai Barni as a lady-in-waiting. In 1929 she played Nang Phrai Nam, on the film Waen Wiset. She served as a royal courtier and was active in charities until withdrawing from the social scene in the 1950s.

Marriage

In 1928 she married Nakkhatra Mangala, Prince of Chanthaburi II, a Thai royal diplomat and have the following children:
  1. Mom Rajawongse Kalyanakit Kitiyakara married Arun Snidvongs na Ayudhya.
  2. Mom Rajawongse Adulakit Kitiyakara married Princess Bandhusavali Yugala.
  3. Queen Sirikit married King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
  4. Thanphuying Busba Sathanaphong married Mom Luang Thawisan Ladawan, but they divorced. Busba married Surayudh Sathanaphong.

Death

Bua died in Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok on 19 September 1999, at the age of 89.

Honours